Privacy Notice – Resident Scrutiny Team
Effective 09 March 2022
At Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) we are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected, and that data is used in accordance with the data protection legislation in force in England and Wales.
This privacy notice sets out why we collect personal information from you, how we use it and who we may share it with. It also explains your individual rights under the current data protection legislation.
If we ask you to provide information which can identify you, then we will only use it in accordance with this privacy notice.
We may change this notice by updating it on our website. You should check the notice from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.
Any queries regarding this notice and our privacy practices can be sent to the company Data Protection Officer by email using governance@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk or by writing to the Head of Governance, who is also the Data Protection Officer at -
Plymouth Community Homes
Plumer House
Tailyour Road
Crownhill
Plymouth
PL6 5DH
Alternatively, you can telephone us on 0808 230 6500
Who we are
Plymouth Community Homes Limited is a registered housing provider. Our registration number is 30637R. Our registered office is Plumer House, Tailyour Road, Crownhill Plymouth, PL6 5DH
For the purposes of data protection legislation, Plymouth Community Homes Limited is a Data Controller
Why we collect information
We collect and process your information because you are a member of, or wish to become a member of, the PCH Resident Scrutiny Team (RST). This means that our legal basis for processing your information and carrying out our activities is based on gaining your consent.
We require the information to assess your suitability for the role and so we can assist you in carrying out the full responsibilities of a RST member as effectively as possible.
What information we collect about you
We will collect the following information about you in order to process your application to become a member of the RST and, if successful, in order to support you in your role.
The information we may collect about you includes:
Prospective RST member
- Name
- Address
- Telephone contact details
- Date of birth
- Dietary Requirements
- Equality & Diversity information
- Health/medical information
- Your skills/experience/personal history
RST member
In addition to the above, we may also collect:
- Security identification photograph
- Photographs of PCH events at Plumer house and offsite in our communities that you may attend as an RST member
- Individual biographies for the PCH website
- Appraisal notes
Whilst you are a member of the RST it is within the legitimate interests of PCH collect and hold the following data
- Record of attendance at meetings
- Expenses form
- Emergency contact details
- Record of any additional learning and development undertaken as an RST member ie. training sessions/meetings attended by you as an RST member
- CCTV video footage in our corporate buildings
- Door access controls data
Most of this information will be supplied by you directly.
How we collect your information
Plymouth Community Homes collects information from you via a variety of sources; in the first instance information is provided to PCH by you as a prospective RST member. This information will be added to throughout the induction process and as appropriate throughout your time as a member of the RST, either formally through data collection on forms or volunteered by yourselves to staff.
When you express an interest in joining the RST, we will also collect information from other PCH members of staff; we request information on any anti-social behaviour or rent arrears linked with your tenancy. This is part of assessing and ensuring your eligibility to become a member of the team.
CCTV - We operate a CCTV system at Plumer House in pursuit of our legitimate interests of building security and the detection and prevention of crime.
Door access controls – We operate an access control system at Plumer House in pursuit of our legitimate interests of building security, health and safety of building users and to ensure business confidentiality.
For more information refer to the separate Privacy Notice for CCTV and door/barrier access controls at Plumer House or request a copy.
Photographs - We may take photographs at our events and in our communities to use for general marketing and publicity. Photographs of individuals will only be used for those purposes with your consent.
However, it is in the legitimate interests of PCH to publish your photo in connection with any information around the role of RST members. It is also in PCHs legitimate interest to use your photo for your ID security pass.
Special Category Information
Under data protection legislation certain personal information is classed as special category. This is information relating to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, data concerning health, data about sexual orientation.
We minimise our holding and use of special category personal information, but we will collect special category information:
- We collect medical/disability and health information to allow us to effectively support you to perform your duties as an RST member
- We collect information on your age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and religion to ensure the equality of treatment in line with the Association’s equal opportunities policy and in compliance with equal opportunities legislation.
When we wish to collect specific special category data we will seek your consent and notify you of how we will use it, including who it may be shared with. You have a right to withdraw this consent at any time. However, if you do not wish us to process this data, we may be unable to provide you with the services you have requested.
What we do with it
We may use the information you give us:
- to undertake tenancy reference checks
- to understand your needs and provide you with a better and more supported service
- for internal record keeping
- to improve our services
- to comply with our legal obligations
- to comply with our regulatory obligations
Your membership of the RST will also be published annually in our statutory accounts and on our website.
How long we keep your information
We shall only store your information for as long as is reasonably necessary for us to fulfil the purposes set out in this guide, or for a maximum of one year after your membership on the RST ceases, or if we are in dispute with you until legal proceedings have ended, whichever is longer.
CCTV – we will retain CCTV footage of Plumer House for no more than 6 weeks unless footage is being used to investigate an alleged crime or incident in which case it may be retained for up to 2 years following the conclusion of any investigation.
Photographs – images taken of you in connection with the RST will be reviewed at least every three years. When no longer in use they will be either securely destroyed or archived.
Sharing your information
We will only share your information where you have consented to us doing so or where we are legally entitled to do so, for example:
- to comply with the law
- where there is a clear health and safety risk
- where there is a clear risk to yourself, staff and others
- to provide you with the services you require
- for the detection and prevention of crime, prosecution of offenders and for the detection and prevention of fraud
We may therefore share your information with third parties from time to time, such as:
- Other members of the RST
- Members of PCH staff
- Taxi companies
- Security companies operating at Plumer House
- Other Housing Associations
- Consultants providing services to us
- Our regulator, the Regulator of Social Housing
- Charities and voluntary organisations and our support partners
- A nominated third party where you have given us your permission
- Training providers or learning organisations
How we store your information
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. Some information is stored on paper, but most is stored electronically. To prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information.
Your Rights in relation to your personal data
In certain circumstances, Data Protection legislation gives you a number of individual rights in relation to your personal data. These are as follows:
- The Right to be Informed about how your data is managed – this right is met by this privacy notice and a range of other notices which relate to specific aspects of PCH, such as the CCTV privacy notice and the website privacy notice.
- The Right of Access to your personal information – so that you can be aware of and verify what personal data we hold. Click here for details on how to apply for this right or ask us for more information.
- The Right of Rectification - to have any personal data corrected if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
- The Right of Erasure of your personal data – this only applies in certain circumstances, such as where you have given consent for us to hold information and you withdraw that consent.
- The Right to restrict processing – in certain circumstances you have the right to block or restrict how we process your data;
- The Right to data portability – which in certain circumstances allows you to obtain and reuse your personal data for your own purposes across different services
- The Right to object - in certain circumstances, to the processing of personal data. In particular you have the right to object to being sent direct marketing information.
- The Right not to be subject automated decision making - Plymouth Community Homes does not do this.
More information on the individual rights and how they apply can be obtained by clicking here, by requesting a paper copy of our individual rights guidance information or you can visit the ICO website (ico.org.uk)
If you wish to exercise any of the above rights, please contact:
Governance Team
Plymouth Community Homes
Plumer House
Tailyour Road
Crownhill
Plymouth
PL6 5DH
Alternatively, you can make a request electronically, by email, to governance@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk. or telephone the Governance Team on 01752 388134 or 388152
Making a complaint
If you believe that Plymouth Community Homes has not handled your personal information correctly you have the right to make a complaint. You can raise a complaint in a number of different ways:
- To a PCH staff member
- At our offices at Plumer House, Tailyour Road, Crownhill, Plymouth, PL6 5DH
- Through our website
- Using social media
- By telephone
- In writing
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office at:
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number.
This privacy notice was drafted with brevity and clarity in mind. It does not provide exhaustive detail of all aspects of Plymouth Community Homes collection and use of personal information. However, we are happy to provide any additional information or explanation needed. Any requests should be sent to the PCH Data Protection Officer at the above address.
If you or someone you know would like this information in large print, braille, or translated into another language, please contact our Communications Team on 0808 230 6500 or email info@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Plymouth Community Homes Group
Registered Office: Plumer House, Tailyour Road, Plymouth, PL6 5DH
Legal Status:
Plymouth Community Homes Ltd is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (which consolidates the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts) and is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (registration 30637R) and The Regulator of Social Housing (registration L4543).
At the time of issuing this Notice, Plymouth Community Homes Ltd has two wholly owned subsidiaries, Plymouth Community Homes Regeneration Company Ltd (PCHR), company number 7272688 and Plymouth Community Homes Energy Ltd (PCHE), company number 8028170. Both subsidiaries are incorporated under the Companies Act 2006.
